We had the good fortune of connecting with Janett Liriano and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Janett, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
This question is quite interesting. Objectively, if I look at my life- risk-taking is the constant and common denominator. But, from the inside of living it, it has always felt like following a calling, an instinct, or being determined to manifest an inevitability.

I grew up as the middle of five sisters, raised in Queens, NY. I think something I’ve come to realize is that my parents displayed a natural bravery as immigrants in NYC. I clearly remember my mother navigating and advocating for us; to get us into the best schools, the best opportunities, learning new languages, cultures and systems… I think one of the blessings of being a “third culture” kid is the richness that is naturally around you- your parents and community are natural innovators, entrepreneurs, master networkers and problem solvers, with no rose colored glasses that life is easy.

When I dropped out of college my sophomore year (where I was studying lighting design and technical theatre) to support my family when my parents were temporarily disabled from work, I vividly remember the worry my teachers and peers felt for the “risk” I was taking. “What would happen to my future if I didn’t return?”

Dropping out to my counterparts seemed like a wild risk that would guarantee me being in low-income roles ever after- but for me, it wasn’t a risk at all. I was simply doing the right thing, what I was called to do at the time, and I had faith this decision would lead to others that would lead to others. And it did.

I ended up becoming the youngest concierge in NYC, earning a killing at the Bryant Park Hotel, then quit that high paying job to become a babysitter because I wanted more flexibility to pursue audio engineering/music. People thought that was nutty but I was happy as a clam.
As that was going well, I fell in love with a boy as one does in their 20’s and left that career to move to St. Maarten to support that partner through medical school for two years- which was another moment of panic for my community.

Risk taking for me has always been about listening to my heart, trusting my spirit, and being exacting with my mind when I make a plan. I returned from St Maarten and joined a scrappy startup I became the CEO of and led for 3 years. From there, the journey continued with spirit led turns- from CEO of a tech company, to Chief of Staff of a Biopharma, to leaving that career to start this chocolate company I have been gladly growing with my sister for the last 4 years… Risk is a given in life. I focus on optimizing and clearing the path to reward. I haven’t regretted a decision yet! When I look backwards, I see how being fully present in the moment, and completely obedient to the call to evolve has built an incredibly tapestry of connection, opportunity, and growth.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
INARU is the only vertically integrated, woman (and sister!)-owned chocolate company that enhances traceability, financial empowerment and regenerative organic cocoa in the Dominican Republic. Our chocolate is organic, vegan, gluten free, kosher, soy free, safe and tested for heavy metals and toxin free.

Our core mission is to empower underserved cocoa farmers through profit sharing, while offering chocolate lovers a guilt-free experience that fosters regeneration on a global scale. The essence of INARU lies in our commitment to create a brand that combines exquisite luxury with ethical practices to truly deliver “The Best Chocolate For The World”.

Our state of the art, and one- of a kind chocolate factory in the Dominican Republic was built from the ground up and inaugurated Dec 11, 2023, although we’ve been hard at work building this business since April 2020.

This factory produces premium cocoa liquor, couverture, chocolate bars, bonbons and beverages, exporting worldwide from the Dominican Republic. Our customers are discerning enthusiasts who know that true luxury is free of compromise.

So how did we build this business (and a 7,000 square foot factory) in 4 years?

My sister (Erika Liriano) and I were working very good jobs by all standard during the pandemic (biopharma and venture capital respectively). We had always dreamed of building a business in the Dominican Republic, as both of our parents came from agricultural/rural communities and our father has had a small cocoa farm we helped him certify organic, as well as the community before we went all in on what would one day become INARU.

The calling got stronger after we flew down in February of 2020 to support my father after our grandmother died. Being in the country, walking the farm… making cocoa by hand and imagining what could be if someone valued the farmers, valued the the crop, and built a brand around it… and in that time of togetherness we realized that, that “someone” was us. We set out to study everything you could learn about organic cocoa and discovered the Dominican Republic is responsible for nearly 60% of all organic cocoa purchased worldwide. And yet, less than 3% of the national cocoa export was finished product.

That math blew my mind. The estimated value of our cocoa bean exports annually was about 220M USD. That 220M would go on to become nearly 8B in finished chocolate products abroad. We asked ourselves- what if we made the semi-finished and finished products here, where some of the finest cocoa in the world grows? What if we built a PREMIUM, fine flavor, luxurious AND ethical brand so chocolate could be a truly guiltless pleasure?

It became obvious we had to do it. We needed to partner with farmers and design a business model that truly worked for them. We needed to be diligent about traceability. We needed a factory. We needed a beautiful brand. We very obviously needed capital. After pouring all of our income and savings into completely relocating to the Dominican Republic to start INARU, we set out on a long and slow fundraising journey.

Many people do not realize that less than .05% of black and latina women ever raise $1M USD. Read that again. Although these founder profiles outperform their male and non POC counterparts dollar for dollar, we get a fraction of a percent in capital to start businesses. The hardest part was getting the necessary start up capital for such a massive and ambitious, if smart business. Building infrastructure is not something you can easily bootstrap, and I had the strong instinct 4 years ago that it was urgent to build our factory and secure partnerships as the environmental and economic conditions around cocoa would continue to deteriorate. We were bullish that cocoa prices were about to pop. (People thought we were nuts). We were adamant that chocolate would soon become a luxury like wine (we see now how right we were.).

The hardest part was really just how long it took, how weathering it is to defend the vision and method of a dream and not compromising. We had many predatory offers we walked away from to wait for the right partners and we are so glad we did.

My biggest lesson was actually in not undercutting my self trust, or putting the fears of others above the confidence and diligence of what my sister and I were building. Each time we gave way to please a fear based concern, we regretted it. I would also say, HIRE SLOW. In the early days, you are lucky and grateful for your early team that gives their all. As the company matures, it can be difficult to expand if you over-hire, over-outsource, or over-promote. It can also create confusion if there is strategic misalignment. Less is more in this respect- generally, you need more people to delegate to, not more managers in the first few years.

I would love the world to know how much authenticity, quality, integrity, and LOVE is in this business. Our company employs dozens of women at our factory, our leadership is a 100% woman (and latina) led, we pay our farmers on average 30% above the average price of cacao, and for every product you buy from us, the farmer gets an ADDITIONAL payment. This is hugely important. Tyipcally organic DR cocoa beans sell between $4-$10kg. by processing the beans into chocolate, the per kg price increases between $22-$100kg. When we share in the sales with our farmers from this higher price, the impact is massive. I would also love the world to realize, that in the same way you expect fine French wine to be made in France, you can and should expect excellent products to come from the rich countries that grow the crop and know it better than anyone else. Also know that we’ve been investing directly in our farm communities by building regenerative model plots, paying directly for tools, training and labor, so that they have the necessary support to empower their land and communities with the resilience it will need for the years to come.

When you try INARU, you’ll know and feel our values: Love, Dignity, Artistry, Vibrancy, Excellence, and Stewardship.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Even though I’m a NYer at heart, living in WeHo was such a gift!

Food: COD on Beverly Rd. I have an unhealthy obsession with their pork belly. I also love Hugos, my sister is celiac and I am a celiac sympathizer so avoid gluten where I can. Moonbowls, and honestly I love love Ktown. Kbbq is always a good idea.

I love the Barnes and Noble at The Grove. I love The Grove in general. But the Barnes and Noble is so tremendous with its re-work. If you love books like I do, this is the place! Sit upstairs and read your heart out.

Voda Spa in WeHo is a vibe.

Six Flags-I am an unusual bird and have a platinum membership- so if you want preferred parking and fun snacks- its on me!

Santa Monica Pier/ and the walk around it- Honestly, I dont have “favorites”. I just uber around to central places and discover things, and that’s half the fun.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Gratitude for the people, places and ideas that have watered my mind and inspired my purpose runs deep. I have spoken at length in other places about my family and friends, so I’d love to spotlight some other anchors. I immediately think of my TAG teacher from elementary school, Ms. Roberta Nelson, and my Carpentry teacher, Mr. Hank Lewis. Both of these teachers recognized my potential, and never let me coast, or do anything less than my best. They were incredible advocates, champions and deep listeners. I was always on some sort of mission to improve something, even from a very young age. Ms. Nelson had me enroll in one of the first Peer Mediation programs in NYC, and I still refer to that as one of the most formative teachings of my life. The ability to deeply listen, reflect back, and guide others to understanding is so important beyond business- it’s critical for healthy and happy relationships and peace. I developed a passion for leadership and stewardship through her great encouragement.

The civics classes she led from 2nd grade to the 6th grade developed a strong awareness of how our local politics, leaders, and micro-decisions cascade upwards, and sparked a lasting awareness in community. Mr. Lewis was such a profound example of striving for excellence, without losing your humanity with self or others. I went to LaGuardia HS (the Fame School) for Technical Theatre, where this tiny department of 30 students would construct Broadway level sets, lighting designs, costumes and more. We’d be in school from 7:45am- 8:00pm, as our departments worked late to build for the shows. The work ethic I developed with Mr. Lewis was a push and pull, as he could always tell when I was coasting and never let me rest on laurels, even if it was “good enough”. I am exceptionally grateful for that. He also encouraged me to lean into my natural advocacy- I armed a student strike for better working conditions, teacher expectations and regularly stomped into the principal’s office myself with demands on how to improve our school. When I look back, I have so many educators who saw me clearly, and guided me well. It was a serious blessing.

Great Advisors in my life: Al Sambar, Dale Jasper Stephens, Brian Doyle, Carlos Feliz, Terry O’Day, Sabrina Teichman, Brad Lindenbaum- honestly there is such a long list.

Books you HAVE to read: 7 habits of highly effective people, get your sh*t together, the life changing magic of tidying up, power vs force, Letters to A Young Poet, The Art of War.

Website: https://inaru.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inarucacao

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inaru/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mQF_xeMTvU

Image Credits
Edgar Nunez, Ricardo Messon, Samuel Batista

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